When it comes to over-the-counter pain pills, many people don’t even think to look at the expiration date on the side of the bottle. But a new class-action lawsuit claims that three of the biggest names in the (legal) drug business are deliberately putting early expiration dates on their products to encourage customers to throw them out and buy new ones. [More]

Even though the expansion of Medicaid to cover several million more low-income Americans isn’t slated to begin until January 2014 — and even though states aren’t scheduled to begin contributing anything to the expansion until 2016 — some states have already declared their intention to not take part in the program.

We understand that a lot of people have hobbies — I like to bake bread; I’ve also been known to craft elaborate leather outfits for my carrier pigeons — but while it may be acceptable to knit as you stroll the aisles of your local retailer, cooking up a batch of meth in your purse is really just going to end badly.

After an AP story ran about it, an insurance company has reversed its decision to deny paying the medical bills of a man who barely survived the Joplin tornado while he tried to safeguard three developmentally disabled adults in the group home where he worked.

Social worker Mark Lindquist almost gave his life to try to save the three developmentally disabled adults in his care when the big tornado hit Joplin, Missouri in May. But despite being impaled by metal in the course of his work and suffering other near-fatal injuries, his insurance company has denied his worker’s comp claims.

The estate of a Starbucks customer who lost his life after attempting to chase down a tip jar thief has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the java giant, alleging that the company invited crime by having an unsecured tip jar on the counter.

A 27-year-old man in Missouri has been arrested on charges of unlawful use of a weapon and driving while intoxicated after he allegedly used a shotgun to threaten employees at McDonald’s, demanding the restaurant reopen and give him some food to take home to his pregnant wife.

If you’ve ever played the lottery, here’s your chance to vicariously live through the moment of realizing you’re the winner. Store clerk Chris Shaw recently became a $258.5 million Powerball winner of the Missouri lottery, and here’s the footage of him arriving at the gas station where he bought it and learning he gets all the marbles. If anything he seems pretty aw shucks and humble about it.

Late Wednesday night in a Kansas City 7-11, employee Gurpreet Singh was shot by a robber, even after he handed over the cash without protest. And now a relative of Sing wants the convenience store chain to install safety glass in all their stores before another employee dies.

Have you ever seen these crazy Walmarts ginormous data center in Missouri? Airplanes and the Google Maps Streetview car have. Dubbed, “Area 71,” the facility is built on bedrock so it can withstand numerous kind of disasters. Four years ago, their Bentonville, Arkansas HQ was said to have 460+ terabytes of storage. This is an auxilary facility in Missouri, located 15 miles from their HQ. It’s gotta have something in the peta or exabytes. Wonder what they use all that for? More pix inside. Leave your crackpot conspiracy theories in the comments.

Here’s a strange story from southeast Missouri. Three years ago a college student was waiting in line at Walmart. Her cousin was waiting in another line that was moving faster. The college student, now a teacher who lives in Louisiana, joined her cousin in the “faster” line. This apparently started a confrontation with other customers (and eventually the police) that may cause the woman to spend 15 years in prison.

An NBC investigation in Kansas City, Mo., has discovered that 85% of area restaurants surveyed use cheaper fish in place of the one listed on the menu. Instead of red snapper, they mostly served tilapia—which costs five times less. Even “Red Snapper” restaurant was caught serving something that wasn’t red snapper.

22-year-old Jennifer Sorbello got an extra-special welcome to Chuck E Cheese when William Thigpen, dressed as Mr. Cheese, reached out and groped her breast. Sorbello is suing the restaurant, claiming she has been “damaged in the form of emotional distress and humiliation.”